7 reasons why July 13 should be a holiday
National treasure Harrison Ford and international treasure Sir Patrick Stewart were both born on July 13. Today, Ford is celebrating his 75th birthday and Stewart is celebrating his 77th.
While there are some really great dates out there — your birthday might be pretty awesome — no other day has blessed the science fiction universe like the day these two were born. Here are some reasons they should be celebrated.
Ford has saved two people in real life
We all know Indiana Jones and Han Solo are heroes, but Ford’s had his share of heroic moments as well. It’s well documented that Ford is an avid flier, but The Richest detailed the two times he’s used his helicopter to save the day. In 2001, Ford found a lost 13-year old in Yellowstone National Park, and then saved a hiker suffering from dehydration and attitude sickness on Table Mountain in Wyoming, less than a year later.
Stewart has been knighted
In 2010, Stewart was made a Knight Bachelor by Queen Elizabeth II for his service to drama, at Buckingham Palace. He told BBC that he would celebrate with the acting teacher who sparked his passion for drama. Stewart’s knighthood isn’t just representative of his acting chops, but also his voice, which is perfect for narration. He was the original narrator of Tim Burton’s A Nightmare Before Christmas as well as a plethora of animated films and advertising campaigns. If you don’t think Steward has contributed an irreplaceable service to drama, just think of all of the memes that have spawned from his performance as Jean-Luc Picard.
Image: Paramount
Ford cares about the planet
Caring about the planet shouldn’t really warrant a pat on the back, but there aren’t a whole lot of celebrities like Ford out there! Ford is a known environmental activist and has been the recipient of multiple awards such as the Distinguished Humanitarian Award from B’nai B’rith, the Heart of the City Award from City Harvest and the Good Steward Award from the International Conservation Caucus Foundation, according to the Environmental Hall of Fame. He even has two bugs named in his honor: the pheidole harrisonfordi and calponia harrisonfordi.
Image: Flickr
Stewart is an active philanthropist
Stewart as spoken publicly about his experiences domestic abuse and his father’s PTSD. He supports Amnesty International, Refuge and Combat Stress, as well as having funded a post-graduate study on domestic violence at the University of Huddersfield. In addition, Look to the Stars states Stewart also supports causes like AIDS/HIV research, health and human rights, world peace, and education.
Image: Wikimedia
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Ford has always been a hard worker
Ford didn’t become a household name overnight! In addition to playing multiple bit roles before his big break, Ford taught himself carpentry. While working as a professional carpenter, he worked as a stagehand for the Doors and built a deck for M*A*S*H star and Oscar nominee Sally Kellerman.
Image: Flickr
Stewart is an amazing friend
Is there a greater duo than Sirs Patrick Stewart and Ian McKellen? They starred together in the X-Men franchise, London productions of Waiting for Godot and No Man’s Land, and they even wear matching hats as they sightsee. The two have been friends for years and McKellen performed Stewart’s 2013 wedding ceremony. #goals, right?
Image: @SirPatStew / Instagram
If you put Ford and Stewart in a room together, you have Han Solo, Indiana Jones, Captain Picard and Professor Charles Xavier.
That's pretty rad.
Image: Flickr / Flickr / WIkimedia / ComicBook.com
